In her first column, Jo Pickard reminds us that it is all about the journey...
Setting the scene; I’m sitting at the airport heading home after filming an advert for Omaze UK tired but content after a crazy, busy week.
It’s a real mixed bag working away from home. Of course, I am grateful. I love my job and the team but I sure am looking forward to seeing my husband and doggies. Both will be waiting arms and paws open with the kettle on (that’s hubby) and probably holding a show (that’s the dogs) ready for all the stories I have collected along the way.
I’ve got my notebook out (that’s right I’m old school, plus I am hoping that that connection between your hand and brain kicks into gear and hopefully creates something real and flowing) racking my brains about what to write in this article. I’ve been doing an exceptional job of procrastinating over it for over a week now and I’ve just had an epiphany!
It’s one of my first articles for Gin & Jellytots Magazine and I have put rather a lot of pressure on myself to get it right, overthinking what to say which creates a block and means that, you guessed it, nothing happens and I have feelings of pressure (self-inflicted obvs) and guilt.
I’m focusing on the endpoint, the finished piece, trying to create the whole story in my head when actually what I need to do is focus on a bit at a time, put pen to paper, and just start and enjoy the process bit by bit. Slowly the words will come and ta-da before I know it, a finished piece will arrive.
When I am at home and I have a block, maybe I am creating a voice-over character for a game or animation or working on a script for a radio play and I just can’t get it right, I walk outside in nature with no connection to the outside world. I leave my phone so that I can connect to my thoughts and allow ideas to pop into my head. It’s quite strange how it happens but giving yourself space really does encourage creativity.
Sadly, the airport is rammed and there is no escape from constant distractions so free-writing is the only way to release my ideas.
It’s very much like life really, we are all so focused on the destination, success, goals, and achievements we forget to enjoy the journey, to take in and celebrate the small but oh so wonderful things that happen along the way.
Sometimes we are so focused on how big the goal is that we don’t even allow ourselves to start that journey because we feel overwhelmed and have fear.
So come on, let’s just take the first step and see where this adventure leads us.
A friend told me when I got married to take snapshots in my mind of all the little moments so I would never forget them. This is great advice for life.
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